via WJON.com
ST. CLOUD – The St. Cloud Police Department’s SWAT team unveiled their new armored vehicle this (Monday) morning.I guess its to be expected but its still alarming.
The MRAP, which stands for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, comes from the Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.
Lieutenant Jeff Oxton says the vehicle will help keep members of the SWAT team safe while responding to emergencies.
The cost to the city of St. Cloud is about $10,000 to retrofit it for police use. The vehicle is valued at over $400,000.
In it’s previous life it was used for training at Fort Ripley, Kansas. It has less than 3,600 miles on it.
Besides the St. Cloud police department, the Sheriff’s Departments in Sherburne County, Wright County, Dakota County, Pine County, St. Louis County, and Olmstead County also received vehicles.
I have a web watch setup to look for stories on police depts buying, being gifted or in general receiving MRAPs and its off the scale. There are stories at least twice a day and no matter how big or small the dept, they're laying their hands on military grade gear.
Its to be expected but it needs to stop. Give them to Kenya or the Philippines but stop militarizing US police depts.
That's just so wrong to give MRAPS to Police depts. They should have instead gone to Air and Army National Guard Infantry and MP Units who need equipment like the MRAPS. Even our Allies such as the Philippines could have gotten some MRAPS. Who ever is giving them to Police depts, needs to be Fired ASAP.
ReplyDeleteFired ? I would say give that man a bonus! I will put you in SWAT commander role, there is a deal, great deal that you will get a armored vehicle not for 400k ( and that would be impossible from, how many depts ? 90% ) but for 10k to ride your men with max protection. You will take it or say ?
DeleteCorrect me but armored vehicle is nothing new in SWAT units. Also US will end with a lot, a LOT of MRAPS when the war end(?) so its better to give them to your own security forces then to allies. You know, when some wierd anti US goverment take power in Philippines who will be first to scream "WHO GIVE THEM OUR MRAPS!?"
MRAPS don't belong in Local police dept. They belong to Air and Army National Guard MP units and Light Infantry Units. It's very wrong to give MRAP's to Police dept because it will give society the impression of being Special forces wannabe instead of a police dept. If any MRAPS that go to Police depts, they should go to Alaska State troopers. Look at their location and MRAPS would be perfect for them
DeleteThey had not give them to ordinary Police but to SWAT unit, the SpecOps wannabe. MRAPS are just an armored vehicle, some SWAT's units posses refit APC's. If Army don't want them. Guard don't want them ect. give one to the SWAT units. Everybody will save some money and in that case maybe even save some lifes.
DeleteAnd Alaska ? Why, there is some mine problem there ? Because most of MRAPS are rather poor off road.
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DeleteSol delete both my and your early post, I presume that he don't tolerate this kind of post here. And you ignore this and still post insults, yeah... I'm a idiot here.
DeleteIf ANY dept. needs an MRAP, it would be in and around Detroit...maybe. Those guys need all the help and armor they can lay their hands on. Either that, or RoboCop...
ReplyDeletenot even detroit needs MRAPs. what detroit needs is a good work crew to bulldoze a bunch of abandoned buildings and a bonfire to burn the wood and trucks to haul away what doesn't burn. once that happens then you have a MUCH smaller city that can be controlled by the police they do have. allow broken down buildings and abandoned property and you get blight. thats detroits problem in a nutshell. but if you saw my list of dangerous neighborhoods you'll see that its a widespread problem.
DeleteI won't argue with you there sir. Never been to Detroit, don't intend to either. Plus, I hate the Redwings. But I digress... I was reading some articles blasting the DoD's 1033 program, this particular program for the transfer and sale of surplus vehicles and arms to local departments & dhs. Yeah, no MRAP needs to be rolling down city streets anywhere. DHS certainly doesn't need any of this stuff, period. About the only thing I'd argue for, is having an M4/AR-15 in the patrol car. On one side you've got homeboys on the street packing high power rifles and on the other side you've got the growing over-the-top open carry crowd. That alone is a powder keg waiting to blow. All it takes is one wrong move of one idiot. In short though, for an officer in a patrol car, different situations dictate grabbing the rifle vs. the 870. I think that is a reasonable option (today) for another backup weapon.
DeleteThe main point though, most people agree the over-militarization of local police is not a good idea. You're basically forcing a bad situation to develop, just by the presence of some of that crap.
On one hand this is normal, my little town back in the fifties was given vehicles and equipment for it's Civil Defense back in the days of duck and cover I recall the town had a DUKW painted up in CD blue and white as well as today a local Fire department out in the county has a Gamma Goat.
ReplyDeleteThese are not MRAPS I know but this is an example of end of war surplus being given to police, fire and rescue services.
The LEO need to understand though that when an outfit up armors itself the opposition will up gun to match it.
I don't believe LEO expects NaPalm bombs in 55 gal drums or Thermite by the ton but should the US decide to go all hardcore on it's citizens the citizens will fight back and at that time will not mind frying LEO inside their MRAPS.
The fact is, the LEO will have to shed that armor sometime and that's when the hammer will fall.
When the foe is strong run away, when the foe is weak attack.
MRAPS won't save any cops after they go off shift or head out to the donut shop for goodies.
The civil war in Syria should be an example of what befalls a government that considers it's population dangerous and in need of firm punishment to make them get back in line.
The Law won't always be in an MRAP and if they are well have fun getting burned alive or blown up.
Not wishing no harm on our fine Police forces.
Just wait until a local police dept and SWAT meets up with a drug cartel that is armed with IED's RPG-7's & RPK,RPD Machine guns. Police depts and SWAT would be outgunned in seconds.
DeleteNo mrap in army inventory will save you from the RPG, even old PG-7 can penetrate up to 250 of RHA, mraps have armor that good? Or maybe they all equipped with ERA? The bird cage style can give only 50% of monoblock HEAT mis- ignition.
DeleteAnd last about ambushes, if ambush is good organised, no one will save his ass.
I did not see in the article how much this vehicle weighs. Many of the streets where I live are limited to 5 or 6 tons.
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